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Counter-Terrorism Disruptive Powers Report 2021

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: My rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department (Suella Braverman) has today made the following Written Ministerial Statement:I have today laid before both Houses the Counter-Terrorism Disruptive Powers Report 2021 (CP 779). Copies of the Report will be made available in the Vote Office and online on GOV.UK. It is important that there is transparency in the use of our national security tools. Publishing this Report ensures that the public are able to access a guide to the range of powers used to combat terrorist threats to the United Kingdom, the extent of their use and the safeguards and oversight in place to ensure they are used properly.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Levelling Up Fund Round 2 outcome

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: My Right Honourable friend the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations (The Rt Hon. Michael Gove MP) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement:One of the Prime Minister’s top priorities is growing the economy, to create better-paid jobs and spread opportunity right across the country. This provides the foundations upon which to build stronger communities and safer streets. Levelling up remains central to these missions.Today, I am delighted to announce the next stage of our Levelling Up programme. This Government is committed to delivering three key priorities across the UK: supporting Pride in Place by funding culture projects in local communities; delivering economic growth with transport projects; empowering local leaders to regenerate their town centres. We are therefore allocating £2.1 billion of funding from Round Two of the Levelling Up Fund to drive growth and enhance communities. The successful bids were allocated following a rigorous official process, which took account of the geographic spread of need across the UK, ensuring the Levelling Up Fund reaches as many areas as possible across rounds one and two.The funding announced today builds on the £1.7 billion awarded to 105 bids in the first round, driving growth and regeneration across the UK. We received a tremendous response to this second round of the Fund, with over 500 bids received, and a total value of £8.8 billion – a significant increase on the just over 300 applications in Round 1. All bids for Round 2 were assessed by officials according to clear criteria, and ministers approved the funding selection without adding or removing bids. Further details of the process applied by the Government is published in our Explanatory Note on the Assessment and Decision-Making process.The Levelling Up Fund will play a key role in helping to reduce geographical disparities across the United Kingdom. To this end, the second round of the Fund will see £456 million awarded in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, building on the £342 million awarded in round one. This Government is committed to protecting and promoting the combined strengths of the UK. I strongly believe that, working as one United Kingdom, we are better able to tackle the individual challenges every region and nation across the country face.We will have a further round of the Levelling Up Fund, alongside other complementary interventions which together will help protect community assets and level up areas of the country. We will outline more information on this in due course.